Police were called after a Maspeth resident noticed an abandoned duffle bag and the strong aroma of gasoline coming from a unidentified canister next to Queens Midtown Expressway at Borden Avenue and 73rd Place.

At approximately 10:05 p.m., police from the 104th Precinct were notified of the suspicious package, sending emergency vehicles to quarantine the area.

Later reports from the 104th stated the duffle bag was filled with personal items like soap, toothpaste, socks and deodorant.

An FDNY Hazmat Unit found multiple containers to be filled with old gasoline, which was neutralized

“You see something you say something,” Polgar said. “You don’t want to take any chances. The fumes were so strong, that if somebody would have thrown a match in there, it would have been pretty bad.”

The surrounding block was roped off with caution tape, homes in the area were evacuated and Maspeth High School was notified, however the school was not evacuated.

Polgar recalled his mother noticing a suspicious white van parked near where the items were found the night before at around 11 p.m. However, they did not notice whether anything was dropped off at that time.

“It had headlights on for a while and then left,” he said of his mother’s account of the incident. “Maybe they dumped it, I don’t have any idea. As soon as I saw the duffle bag I said, ‘Uh oh, I don’t want to take any chances.’”